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With the digital age firmly with us it is virtually impossible to successfully run a business without a virtual presence. Such a presence is called a website and is akin to the reception area of a studio, a gym or a practice where people can gather to get information about your services and decide which of your offers suit them best. Let us exercise our creativity and see how easy it is to manage a business in cyber world.

Hang up your welcoming sign

Look around you. Everyone has their eyes firmly fixed on the Internet. There’s nothing wrong there except that your business exists in the real world. To link those eyes to where you are you need a website. The best is to go to a company that can not only help you to create a website but that is also able to host if for you. A business that knows how to get those intricate little road signs in the virtual world to point to your site and to open the road that will lead them all to your web door.

If it looks like your business and acts like your business then . . . . .

A duck’s quack and walk can never be mistaken for a turkey’s. That’s what makes a duck survive Thanksgiving. For you to survive in the modern business world your website has to match your business in look and feel. Take a look at how other businesses similar to yours have stamped their image into their website. Look at the colors they used, the feel, the design elements used, the complete package. See which one resonates most with how you see your business and base the choice of your website’s design on your inner convictions. Take your time to choose and you will recognize it when you see it.

Make it relevant and keep it interesting

Think like a visitor to your business would. Can one easily make an appointment and even pay for a service online? Reading text can get you to the dilated pupil stage but it takes professional images to really make the endorphins rush. Also think about the lost souls. Everyone with a sore back or an underdeveloped hamstring nowadays has a GPS system and feed off Google Maps. Make it easy for them to find you while on your website. Allow them to purchase visits to give away as gifts to those they would like to impress. Keep them coming by changing the website as your business grows..

Leverage the technicalities without becoming a techie

Behind each successful website there is a search engine and volumes have been written on how to optimize a site so as to fare well on a search. Rather than thinking in zeroes and ones use a tool that will help you to incorporate the tricky elements. And before you know it your website’s friendship circle will include names like Google, Bing and Yahoo!

Nobody bakes their bricks any longer to build a house. Similarly everyone uses tools to create a website. All those successful business with those magnificent websites did. And so can you. Go for the gain!

Gift certificates do so many different things for your Massage or Spa business that you as a body worker are throwing away a lot of important contacts without them on your website. What do I mean?

Word of mouth! It lets your clients spread the word. I personally love to give a massage gift certificate for special occasions. Easy, always appreciated, minimal wrapping, nothing to dust, and it lets me help my massage therapist. I love referring people to him, and a gift certificate for a loved one is the best way of doing both.

Makes Great Presents. It also makes it easy for the friends of your clients to treat them. My own mother’s birthday is coming up. And her Massage Therapist in her town 300 miles away has a website with gift certificates. Guess what mom’s getting for her birthday? I know it is a massage she will love with her therapist.

Online Accessibility = Easy! Having online gift certificates makes it easy for everyone. Like in the above example, I didn’t have to go anywhere special, or even deal with financial information over the phone. A quick, secure connection and over my break I had a wonderful gift for my mom. We do so much in the way of ecommerce anymore that it becomes difficult to customers when they don’t have a way to pay online.

Convienence for the Clients And just because your client or their friends don’t use them, don’t think it doesn’t have an impact. All the time as consumers we are offered services and conveniences we don’t need, but might want. How often do we pick an agency or a service because they have everything? The simple idea that they can use this gift certificate feature if they want to makes a client feel like they are getting more without you even having to do anything. And for the new client researching Massage Therapists in your area it makes it just one more reason for them to pick your practice over the competition

So gift certificates are great! But how hard are they to set up? Well I can’t speak for other places but here at Bodysite Builder it’s pretty darn easy. And it comes standard in our “The Works” plan. Drew and Nadia set up the functionality on your website. Then there are a couple steps you need to take to link your PayPal account. If you don’t have a PayPal account, we recommend the Website Payments Standard option – you can sign up for this free account at http://paypal.com

Between keeping track of appointments with clients, scheduling more appointments, and generally trying to stay organized, we know how hard it can be with running a massage, fitness, or physical therapy business and keeping up to date on all of the latest Internet trends. So we’ve organized 4 great tips for your convenience to help you integrate all your social media platforms into your weekly routine:

1.) Spend at least 10-15 minutes a day on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Google+:

It’s really that simple! Just show up, look around, and make an appearance. Ok, well it might not be that easy, but what we’re trying to say is make an effort for a little time of your day, and it will take you a long way. This can help your activity, attract new fans, and help your local “word of mouth” marketing.

2.) Link your Facebook and Twitter account to each other:

This is SUCH a simple task, and can end up saving you some time. What this does is if you post anything to your business’s Facebook, it will automatically be shared on Twitter. It’s like getting a 2-for-1, and you get attention on both social media platforms. Here is a great link with photos showing step-by-step how to link the two together:

Clear and simple, right? Some people have issues with coming up with something to post, which is understandable. Just think about what you’re business’s voice is, and go from there. You could post an inspirational quote, a healthy tip, a funny picture, or a question to get to know your audience more.

4.) Share, Share, Share!:

So this can get a little tricky, but don’t worry! On Twitter, you should find a few local places around you, and some local news publications to follow. There is a button that reads, “Retweet” and you will be able to repost and share it. If you find an interesting article, post it for your audience to read as well. This helps reach out to larger audiences, and you’ll find that more people will start to follow you, or like your page.